It has long been assumed that the usual course for physicians coming out of residency is that they would work and buy into a small practice and stay there as long as they wanted, treating patients in the way doctors best know how. But with mounting business pressures on small practices, doctors are rethinking whether that model can still hold.

American Medical News has covered trends that have doctors both young and old thinking about whether they're better off working for a large organization. Older doctors are considering whether they should get out sooner than expected so they don't have to deal with more hassles. And younger doctors are worried about whether barriers are going to be put between themselves and their patients.

The number of physicians who hold a practice ownership stake is in decline, with nearly two of three expected to be in an employed position in 2013, according to an Accenture study. Doctors are saying the cost of autonomy increasingly is not worth paying. Read more

Physicians say they are cutting back hours or retiring early because they're frustrated with mounting regulations, declining pay, a loss of autonomy and the unknowns of health system reform. That could mean the U.S. needs even more new doctors than expected to make up for a future shortage. Read more

A Physicians Foundation survey found that young doctors are optimistic about their futures — but they're not so high on the direction the overall health system is going. Most of the doctors are happy with their working situations and the relationships they have with their patients, but wonder whether institutional barriers will come between them and those for whom they care. Read more